Women Participation in Local Government (A Case Study of Kirtipur Municipality)
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Department of Political Science
Abstract
Nepali women constitute more than half of the country’s population. Due to the
continuous dominance of the patriarchal value system they remain discriminated and
treated as second class citizens. The current Constitution incorporates specific
provisions to provide some political support to women. Despite special measures set
by the government for women’s political participation, women have not been
benefited from such measures. Present paper is an attempt made to analyse status of
Nepalese women in various sphere of socio-economic life.
This dissertation entitled "WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL
GOVERNMENT (A CASE STUDY OF KIRTIPUR MUNICIPALITY)" was
undertaken aiming at exploring and analyzing the challenges faced by the locally
elected women representatives and their leadership capacity. Both the primary and
secondary sources of the data have been used to capture the research objectives. The
study is limited in entire 10 wards of Kirtipur Municipality and it employed three
tools: a semi-structured interview schedule, key informant interview, observation
checklist, and document study for the collection of primary information.
The study with findings indicate elected women representatives found to be evolving
with the capacity of leadership through overcoming challenges they are facing like
limited knowledge in their performing roles that they have a mandate with greater
responsibilities at the local level. Elected marginalized women had no proper political
and social work background prior to the election. They were mostly engaged in a
household activity and community-based groups – saving credit, women group;
however, they have now been involved in social services, development, community
and women rights being a representative of their community.
Regardless of their education status or age, majority of the marginalized women
representatives have felt the need of increase capacity of leadership by leadership and
women empowerment training, and law constitution and regulation training. Among
the five members of the ward, two seats are reserved for female representatives one ofhas been a dramatic increase in female political representations. Locally elected
marginalized women's numerical representation is good. However, there are barriers
in effective and meaningful representation in the local level government as much
effective as it was intended due to their limited capacity. These barriers are however
linked with structural composition of society as well as their personal capacity. They
have realized the significance of politics and they are convincing other women of
their community in involving to the politics through sharing the significance of
politics in social transformation. Furthermore, educated and socially active elected
marginalized women representatives have started to unite to the women
representatives for collective contribution in uplifting and empowering to their own
communities.
The study has mapped the training needs of women elected representatives
referencing women's own articulation of their limitations and challenges. However,
such training to "raise women's consciousness" is insufficient. This study reveals that
even when women in politics are aware of their roles and responsibilities and are
actively seeking to exercise legally mandated authority, they are prohibited from
taking on their functions. The representatives have felt the need for financial and
budget management training to help perform better at work, followed by leadership
and women empowerment training. Government and policy makers should pay the
special attention in making such policies and programs that aims at eliminating those
barriers of the women representatives.
whom must be Dalit. Overall, through the use of quotas and other mechanism, there